Improvement in fence-posts



lO. E. BUTLER. Fence Post.

No. 201,744'. Patented Marh 26,1878.

/A Mem m N www@ gm N.FEERS. FHOT0-LITMDGRMHERI WASHINGTON. D. C.

NITED .Y STATES PATENT OEErcE.

oie-RIN E. BUTLER, oELAMoILnuiowA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCE-POSTS'.

Specification forming Vpartof Letters'PatentNo. 201,744, dated March Y26, 1878; applicationled' Decemberl13, 1877. i

Improvements relating to Posts and Attachments for WireFences; and I vdo hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof.

"IVhave devised a means for fastening, which cmsistsyof a sufficiently thick wire inserted ghrougiijthe body of the post, and bent out .y j each side to form an extension laterally, ter

A arms may be turned up, or both may be turned i inatingin a hook adapted to firmly engage with the wire. i The fastener may be so yextended as to allow the wire to move longitudinally through it with ease, and allow the longitudinal wire of the fence to be tightened, or may be so short and so arranged as to hold the wire `very iirmly 4against end movement, the oneconstruction or the other being adopted, as may be desired in any case.

-Both the hooks at the termination of the down; or the one may be turned up and the other down. If the arms are long enough to allow the longitudinal wire ofthe fence to move along without being bent, the longi- A partedto it whenit isiirst set up, it is preferable gaging the longitudinal wires with my fastentomake the armsof the fastening-wire shorter, so that the main wire, being properly inserted, will be somewhat bent, and, will refuse l to move endwise with any ordinary strain applied afterward.

I have deviseda simple implement-ineners.

. The following isla description of what I con- Y siderthe best means of carrying out the invention.

The accompanying/drawings form a part of 1 this specification, in which drawingsv Figure `l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a corresponding face view, a portion lbeing broken out to make room for ahorizontal section.

Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section in the plane of one `of the main wires; Figs. lLand 5 are perspective views, representing two forms of the peculiarly-bent fastening-wires. 'Figi Gis a perspective view of the tool by which I engage the main wire with the fastening-wires. Fig. 7 is a plan View, representing themode of operating with the tool` to engage the wires together.` Fig; Sis a horizontal section through the post, with the fastening-wires 'in place, the fastening-wires bein gfso proportioned as to allow the main wire to be moved longitudinally through the fasten-ing; Y

.The remaining gures represent a some- `wh at analogous device; butIesteem it inferior thereto.-

Fig. 9 is a sideelevation of a part of a post, andFig.. 10a corresponding horizontal section. J

. Similar letters of reference indicateccorresponding parts in all the figures.

Referringto Figs. `1 and2, B is a piece of A iron `g'as-pipe, to serve as the body of the post,

and A is a cast-iron base formed with wings, adapted to be driven in the ground, and to take a1 firm hold therein-f.y

. Der.

The` capl (i may be screwed into the body B, or may be simply socketed; or it may, if preferred, be threaded, or otherwise joined, to iit over the exterior of the body B.` This last maybe preferred in `most cases,on account of fits more efficiently excluding water.

I have representedtwo wires as attached by my fastenings DDz. The number of the wires may be varied, or `their location changed within wide limits.

A corresponding number of 'small holes, b,

are no barbs.

are drilled, punched, or otherwise produced,

through the tubular body B, and through these holes are inserted short lengths of suffidl, and one arm, D1,all finished in the proper relation to the body D, While the remainder of the wire, which is to form the'other arm, D2,

- and the other hook, d2, remains straight, ready to be thrust through the hole in the post. Af-

Y ter being passed through the hole the arm D2 may be bent by stout pinchers or'analogous instrument.

The longitudinal wires of the fence are marked M. If they are provided with barbs, (not represented,) they cannot, of course, be

' efliciently tightened by straining a whole section-at a time, and causing the main wires M to move through the fastenings o n the posts.

Gare should be'taken in such case to avoid having a barb come directly opposite a post; vbut when-such happens to be the case, my invention will allow for it by simply causing the main wire to be suficiently bent between the hooks d1 d2 to allow for the addition made to the thickness of the wire by the presence of the barb.

When a smooth portion of the wire comes opposite the post the main wire will be bent or not, according as the arms Dl D2 are made of greater or lesslength than the semi-diameter of the post.

Fig. 8 shows the arms D1 D2 made long.

Thus formed, my fastening allows the main wire M to be moved endwise through the fastening with facility.

construct the fastenin gs for smoothmain wires,

This is a lgood way to or wires without barbs.

Fig. 3 shows the arms Dl D2 made shorter. This construction compels the main wire to press hard against the post, and to be con. siderably bent, even when a plain part of the wire comes against the post. If a barb comes there, the main wire will lie in the same general condition, but will be still more bent.

The bending with this form of my fastener. prevents the main wire from being drawn end.

wise through the fastening, even when there ener forbarbed-wire fence.

down; but it will be understood that all the hooks may be turned up, if preferred.

There is little, if any, choice in regard to This is a good form of the fast- Y.

the perfection; of the fence, whether the hooks turn up or down, or whether each fastening has one hook turned down and the other up.

The main wire M is usually of such thickness as to possess a good deal of rigidity. When, in addition to its own stiffness, it is strained strongly at the end of each section of a quarter of a mile (more or less) previous to attaching itA to my post, it becomes a matter of `some difficulty to engage the main wires with my hooks di d2. The points of these hooks should not be long, but should be sufficient to take a irm hold.

The peculiarly formed lever E, made of steel, or other suitable metal of sufficient strength and stiffness, is adapted to it against the post and to slide partly around on it after its end has been engaged with the main wire.

By operating with this lever E, as will be obvious from inspection of Fig. 7, the mainv wire may be easily and rapidly deflected from its straight line to a little more than the finallyrequired degree, and allowed to spring back into its hook d1 or d2 with great ease and rapidity. It will then remain firmly engaged for an indefinite period.

My post and fastenings may be painted with any cheap paint or coated with thin coal-taranything which will preserve the parts Well from the weather and stop the holes b around the fastening-wires.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a modification of the fastening,which I consider not as good, but

worthy of mention.

Here the holes b need not extend quite through the post, but only in one side, vand the post is so set that the hole b is not, as in theother gures, parallel to the corresponding main wire M, but at right angles to it.

Instead of a single fastening-wire for each main wire, there are two such wires; and instead of being formed with hooks, they may be complete loops, each loop embracing the main wire M, and extending thence half around the post, and terminating with a hooked end,

. which engages in the hole b.

The fastening-wire may, when thus formed, be of smaller diameter than in the other form. The hole b must be large enough to receive four thicknesses or parts of the fasteningwire.

The lever E is important in the use of barbed wire, or of any which requires to be strained before its application to the post.

My lever E gives a suficient purchase to allow the slight deflection of the wire without requiring it to be slackened.

There may be a hole in the side of the post, near the bottom, to allow the free escape, of any water which may get inside.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination vwith Aa metallic fencepost, B, a main wire, M, the tie D D1 D2 engaging with the main Wire, and. engaging in In vtestinflony/Whereof I have hereunto set a hole or holes in said. post, as herein specimy name in presence of two subscribing Wited. nesses.

2. The fasteners D D1 D2, with their hooks ORRIN E. BUTLER.

d1 d2 constructed and arranged, relatively to Witnesses:

the post B and Wire M, so as to hold the lat- G. W. MOMILLAN,

ter in a bent condition, asherein specified, A. J. HURNDON. 

